Doubling chemo dose helped leukemia patients

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Two new studies are showing that adults with a common form of leukemia had a better chance of remission if they got a double dose of a long-used cancer drug.

By: Associated Press | WNCT
Published: September 24, 2009

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LOS ANGELES (AP) - Two new studies are showing that adults with a common form of leukemia had a better chance of remission if they got a double dose of a long-used cancer drug.
Patients typically receive two chemotherapy drugs to slow or stop the growth of cancer cells. The studies looked at what would happen if the dose of one of the chemo drugs (daunorubicin) was doubled.
It found that complete remission occurred in 71 percent of those ages 17 to 60 who took the higher dose, compared with 57 percent in the regular dose group. Overall survival was also higher in those who had more chemo: 24 months versus 16 months.
Doctors say the findings should change the standard of care for younger adults with acute myeloid leukemia. But they say work must continue to find a better treatment for the elderly.
Acute myeloid leukemia is a cancer of the blood and bone marrow. It's the most common type of acute leukemia in adults.
The studies are published in Thursday's New England Journal of Medicine